Ammonia back to 0.25 :(
One of my molly is doing pretty bad. Noticed yesterday that he has swollen gills and now he's hardly moving. always sitting around in one corner. If he goes near filter, he is getting sucked and he is not trying to get out. I had to keep an eye every 5 mins to make sure he's not sucked in. Is there anything i can do to save him?

Probably not. I am no expert on disease issues, but from what you've mentioned so far in this thread I am inclined to think the fish problems are the result of the cycling.

Molly are incredibly sensitive to ammonia. I learned this from someone who breeds them commercially. They are frequently chosen for new tanks but are one of the last fish that someone with a new tank should acquire, and only after the tank has cycled and been running a few weeks.

Fish exposed to ammonia and/or nitrite during an initial cycle sometimes live through the cycling. But the effect of the toxic ammonia/nitrite leaves its mark internally and weakens the fish. They often die later, sometimes a few days, sometimes several weeks. Once poisoned by the ammonia/nitrite, I am not aware of any "cure" other than water changes to minimize/remove the ammonia or nitrite with a suitable good conditioner. But the damage, if done, is not curable.

Live plants help in cycling, even if nothing more than some stem plants allowed to float. Plants need nitrogen, and they use ammonia as their preferred source, so fast growing plants will assimilate a lot of ammonia (as ammonium, won't get into that side of it). This is why plants were asked about previously.

The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.[unknown source]

Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]

Thanks for the reply Byron. Its almost dead now. I've one molly and one platy now. I'll wait for the cycling to complete before even thinking of adding fish. Is there any specific plant which i can add which reduced effect of ammonia on fishes?

Thanks for the reply Byron. Its almost dead now. I've one molly and one platy now. I'll wait for the cycling to complete before even thinking of adding fish. Is there any specific plant which i can add which reduced effect of ammonia on fishes?

The tank will cycle, even though at the loss of the fish. But you're correct, wait for this to complete before adding more fish.

As for plants, it would be good to think of some substrate-rooted plants for permanent water quality, and easy ones are swords. There are several in our plant profiles [same as fish profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar at the top].

Floating plants are ideal for cycling issues as they are on the surface where the light is brightest and they can assimilate CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the air, so they tend to be vigorous and fast-growing. Almost any of the common stem plants (see the profiles for some) will do floating. Water Sprite is an ideal floating plant if you can find it; it's in our profiles too.

We should consider your tank light though, if you can tell me what it is (be specific). A new bulb/tube may be needed, but that is relatively inexpensive.

The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.[unknown source]

Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]

The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.[unknown source]

Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]